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Agenda Item
ASR
Control 08-001371 |
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MEETING DATE: |
06/17/08 |
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legal entity taking action: |
Board of Supervisors |
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board of supervisors
district(s): |
All Districts |
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SUBMITTING
Agency/Department: |
Sheriff-Coroner
(Approved) |
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Department contact
person(s): |
Assistant Sheriff J.B. Davis (714) 647-1804 |
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Captain Christine Murray (714) 628-7194 |
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Subject:
Orange County TsunamiReady®
Recognition
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ceo Concur |
County
Counsel Review |
Clerk of the Board |
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Concur |
N/A |
Consent Calendar |
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3 Votes Board Majority |
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Budgeted: N/A |
Current Year Cost:
N/A |
Annual Cost:
N/A |
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Staffing Impact: No |
# of Positions:
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Sole Source:
N/A |
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Current Fiscal Year Revenue: N/A |
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Funding Source: N/A |
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Prior Board Action: N/A
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RECOMMENDED ACTION(S)
Present proclamation recognizing the County of Orange and the cities of Dana Point, Huntington Beach, Laguna Beach, Newport Beach, Seal Beach, and San Clemente as TsunamiReady®.
SUMMARY:
The Sheriff-Coroner, on behalf of the Orange County Emergency Management Council and the Operational Area Executive Board, requests presentation of a proclamation recognizing the County of Orange and Orange County coastal cities as TsunamiReady®.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Weather Service (NWS) have established a recognition/certification program for communities that take specific steps to prepare themselves for severe weather hazards. This program is called “StormReady®.” By complying with additional preparedness requirements related to tsunamis, coastal communities can be certified as “TsunamiReady®.”
Oversight of the TsunamiReady® program is accomplished within the National Weather Service (NWS) by the National Storm/TsunamiReady® Board. The Regional TsunamiReady® boards are established to designate regional criteria that can strengthen the requirements within the NWS Alaska, Pacific, Western, Southern, and Eastern regions. The local board, which consists of the local NWS office meteorologist-in-charge and warning coordination meteorologist, a representative from the appropriate state department of emergency services, the appropriate Tsunami Warning Center director, and a representative from the community or county requesting recognition, approves TsunamiReady® applications.
Several guidelines must be met for a community or county to attain TsunamiReady® status, including:
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The community or county must have multiple methods of receiving NWS tsunami warning information. |
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The community or county must have the ability to disseminate a tsunami warning to the local population. |
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An established warning point and emergency operations center must exist. |
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A community tsunami awareness program must have been established. |
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Designated tsunami hazard zones must have been identified. |
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An evacuation and response plan must have been developed. |
The single most important piece of the TsunamiReady® program is a public awareness campaign to inform the public in low-lying coastal areas that they should move away from the water to higher ground following a severe earthquake. All jurisdictions must have developed a public education and awareness program that is designed to communicate the specific hazard to those residents and businesses that live and work within the tsunami hazard area. This is accomplished by public education brochures, tsunami workshops, and posting of tsunami hazard zone signs in the inundation area.
Orange County’s coastal communities benefit by becoming TsunamiReady® because the community is better prepared to save lives in a tsunami emergency. As tsunamis are highly dangerous but rare events, the program will help communities keep their tsunami response plans current. Additionally, the program will increase a community’s contact with experts and personnel who disseminate warnings. Finally, the program will enhance the core emergency response infrastructure, which also supports other hazard responses.
The County of Orange and the cities of Dana Point, Huntington Beach, Laguna Beach, Newport Beach, Seal Beach, and San Clemente have worked with NOAA and the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services to become the first county in California to have 100% completion with all coastal entities qualified as TsunamiReady®.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
N/A
STAFFING IMPACT:
N/A